New York police training manual offers ‘communication tips’

The Big Apple comes in many varieties and to help police cadets find their way through Chinese, Arabic or Hispanic neighbourhoods, the NYPD training academy offers a manual.

Policing a Multicultural Society contains “communication tips” for different parts of the city.

When entering a Puerto Rican home, you may notice that the occupants exchanging multiple glances, but this is a sign of “the closeness of the family unit” rather than evidence that they have committed a crime, it says. Chinese immigrants are often reluctant to ask the help of a stranger, African immigrants prefer to shake hands with “a light touch of the palms” and Arab immigrants speak loudly — even by New York standards.